Video game masterpiece I wish I could play again for the first time

Sometimes a second playthrough of a game can reveal new or unexpected details, or even new story beats and gameplay mechanics, that help set it apart from your first run through the campaign. Many gamers like this, as it speaks to the “value for money” idea that many of us lean towards when deciding which games to buy (and at what price).

But a game that manages to share all of its brilliance at once can still be worth your time, even if it means a second playthrough won't yield much new content. It may even feel a little pointless. Such is the case with these upcoming games. I love them to death, but a second playthrough will never recapture the incredible experience I had the first time. Because of that, I would give anything to erase my memory of them completely, just so I could go back and experience them for the first time again.

Outer Wilds

Once you know the truth, everything changes

Pretty much everyone who played and completed Outer Wilds (and enjoyed the experience) feels like this. It's an incredible, unique exploration puzzle game that ends on a beautiful yet bittersweet note. Everything is built around the concept of discovery. The game is open world and allows you to go anywhere, but there are no waypoints to guide you. It all depends on your own curiosity and knowledge.

Rearrange the cases in the correct US release order.

Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)

Start

Rearrange the cases in the correct US release order.

Light (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)Start

Because of that, once you've learned all there is to learn, seen all there is to see, and solved all the mysteries there are to solve, a second playthrough can't capture the same magic. Sure, I could go back, maybe find a couple of secret endings or a few easter eggs here and there, and just mess around with the physics system, but the emotional resonance of Outer Wilds' The pitch-perfect ending won't feel the same when I know what's coming.

The Talos Principle 2

You cannot read off a puzzle solution

Replayability is something that many puzzle games struggle with. No matter how good they are or how varied the solutions become, once you've solved a puzzle, solving it again is nowhere near the same mind-numbing process. That's exactly the feeling I have The Talos Principle 2, except doubly so because, while the story is gripping the first time through, once you know where it's going, it'll just drop into your puzzle-solving pace.

thankfully, The Talos Principle 2 has a trio of short DLC chapters that might offer something fresh, but they don't last very long and don't capture the same magic as exploring the base game's “open field” environments while hunting for hidden puzzles and finding collectibles. Likewise, while each setting is stunning at first blush, the feeling isn't the same the second time around.

BioShock Infinite

Going back just feels cruel

Just like with the first one BioShock, there is a major narrative twist at the end of BioShock Infinite which turns the whole game on its head. It's a jaw-dropping moment I'll never forget, but unlike the first game's twist, which recontextualizes the entire story and rewards you for replaying it and seeing all the clues that were sitting in front of your face, Infinitely twist doesn't work the same way. It's more of a jarring surprise than a “How did you not see this coming” moment.

As such, there isn't really an abundance of clues that can guide you to spot the twist ahead. The best part about BioShock Infinite (apart from the fantastic battle) the story feels slowly building towards an inevitable and unexpected conclusion. When the same conclusion is expected, the effect is not there. I remember trying to replay the game right after I beat it the first time, and while I was expecting tons of hints and clues about what was to come, they weren't quite there. Also, once you know the twist, it just feels cruel to have these characters go through this experience again.

The last of us

Joel and Ellie's story doesn't hit the same way twice

There is no twist ending The last of us, Nor is there a superstition to puzzles that would ruin a second playthrough. Frankly, a second playthrough is still really enjoyable. The combat and stealth are fantastic, the story and characters are best in class, and it still holds up from a visual standpoint.

The reason I wish I could wipe it from my memory and play it again for the first time is because of how incredibly moving the first playthrough was. There still isn't quite a game that has affected me so much on an emotional level (although the sequel came close). Reliving that, the feeling of not knowing what was to come or what would happen to Joel and Ellie, is like wanting to relive the best meal you've ever had. It's a longing for the surprise, excitement and emotion that the game evokes, and as good as a second playthrough is, it can't reach the same heights.

Fire Ring

How do you discover what you have already found?

There is a certain satisfaction to playing through Fire Ring a second time. My first playthrough took me about 95 hours, taking my time and trying to do everything (and still missing a few things). My second playthrough took about 10 hours because I knew where I was going, had the boss's attack patterns down to a science, and didn't have to hunt for new gear. My third playthrough of the base game was even shorter, but it took longer overall because it fit Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.

You're probably wondering why I would want to do a new first playthrough. The simple answer is that the feeling of discovery i Fire Ring is unmatched. Finding “stuff,” whether it's a new weapon, a hidden boss fight, or a secret underground city, is an experience that's impossible to recreate. Sure, I'll still play it occasionally and have a great time, but it doesn't compare to that first, completely blind run.

Return Of The Obra Dinn

Job well done

Return of Obra Dinn is not a puzzle game in the traditional sense, but it still functions as one. The goal is to examine the Obra Dinn, identify each body on board and associate it with a crew member, and then determine the cause of death for each one. It's a tricky task that requires some note-taking, a lot of backtracking and a strong dose of intuition. There is absolutely no battle to speak of here, just a methodical, questionable process that requires you to learn and draw conclusions on your own.

Because of that, once you've identified everyone and discovered how they died, there's really no going back. It's an incredibly satisfying experience the first time around, providing a perfect blend of narrative pacing and your own methods of investigation as you progress, but once you're done it feels redundant to play through it again. Part of the joy is jotting down notes as you go. If you already have those notes handy, it feels like playing with a cheat sheet.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Once in a lifetime is nothing you can recapture

Very few games have managed to capture the adoration of the gaming world like Clar Obscur: Expedition 33 did 2025. From the combat to the soundtrack to the jaw-dropping story, it's the kind of game that comes along once in a generation. There are plenty of things to go back and do, from endgame content to the free DLC added last December, but the feeling of completing the story is virtually impossible to replicate.

Clair Obscur is loaded with incredible narrative moments, some emotionally devastating, others deeply moving. While a second playthrough allows you to prepare yourself emotionally for what's about to happen, it immediately takes away from how effective the game is. It's an experience that's at its best when it surprises, and it does so repeatedly. There's still plenty to enjoy that would make a second playthrough worthwhile, but it can never compare to the first time.

Encryption

Bite-Sized Brilliance

Oh, how I love Encryption. It got a ton of love in its release year, and a ton more the year after when it was released on consoles, but I still feel like it doesn't get the recognition it really deserves. It's a unique mix of genres and gameplay styles, one minute playing as a villainous deck builder and the next transitioning into a point and click puzzle game. Everything is imbued with this pseudo-horror atmosphere that is never outright scary, but always creepy enough to keep you on edge.

Unfortunately, it's another game that, once you've completed it, has revealed all of its surprises. Sure, there's Kaycee's Mod, an expansion game mode that extends the duration of Encryption roguelike elements endlessly with new modifiers and cards, but it lacks all the other elements that make the base game so unique. That feeling of being out of your depth, of not really knowing what's going on but struggling to discover more for yourself, isn't nearly as strong on a second playthrough. Few games capture that experience so brilliantly Encryption that I would gladly wipe my memory of it just to have that feeling again.